From the Beginning
by monkeeem
Summary: What if Booth and Brennan had met in high school? The story of friendship and love between the foster kid and the jock.
1. Chapter 1

Temperance Brennan flinched as the remote smacked the wall just to the left of her head then clattered to the floor.

"I warned you not to mess up girl!" Michael Collier roared as he fast approached the shivering teen.

"Oh I don't know why you bother Suga'. You know she ain't smart enough to know what your talkin' 'bout." Shirley Collier lounged on the couch with her back to the scene, too engrossed in her game show to spare her foster child a glance.

Michael showed no sign of hearing his wife as he closed the last few inches to Temperance and jerked her up by her hair. He pulled her face close to his and sneered. "I'll teach you to speak outta tongue in my house!" Temperance's nose involuntarily crinkled at the smell of liquor invading her senses, before she was roughly yanked to the side as her captor began to drag her down the hall.

Temperance didn't bother trying to fight back. She had only lived in the Collier household for two weeks before she had learned that resisting only made the punishments worse.

Michael threw open the door to the basement and shoved. Temperance barely managed to catch herself on the third step before a heavy boot hit her back. The rest of the trip down the stairs went much too quickly. "And don't let me hear you whinin' all night either!" With that, the door slammed shut, and the sound of boots marching back toward the living room could be heard overhead.

Once she was sure that it wasn't likely that her foster father would return, Temperance sat up from her sprawled position at the foot of the stairs and began assessing her injuries. In the dim light of the moon, pushing its way through the grimy window high on the basement wall, she could make out a few cuts and bruises, a large gash on her right ankle, but nothing that looked to serious. She sighed. All things considered, tonight wasn't so bad. Her injuries were mild, and the basement was her favorite place to be imprisoned. Despite its lack of heat and the occasional visit from the rat she had taken to calling 'Freddy', the Collier's did store odds and ends in the basement that, if used cleverly, could create a makeshift bed. This was more than she even received in her 'room' upstairs, which was actually the walk in closet of the room that the social services believe to be her actual room.

Temperance pulled herself off of the cold stone floor, and quietly weaved her way through the boxes to the corner farthest from the tv room. There she had thrown together an assortment of old cardboard boxes and stuff animals, topped with a ratty blanket that she had found wrapped around an antique lamp during her third trip to the 'dungeon' as she had mentally dubbed it.

She carefully slid into her sanctuary, and arranged herself so that as few of her injuries, recent and old, were touching the filthy cardboard.

Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes, and brought forth the memory of her old bed, of her parents tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. As a single tear slide down her face before Temperance allowed exhaustion to overtake her.

The next morning, Temperance's internal clock, developed out of her instinct for self-preservation, caused her to wake with a start. The musky light of dawn was struggling to make its way through the basement window. With a groan, she stretched and carefully made her way from her makeshift bed, being careful to obscure the route she took to get there. Then, she perched herself on next to the bottom of the stairs, hugging her knees to her chest. No matter how bad the Colliers treated her at night, they made sure that Temperance was awake and properly dressed for school in the morning. After all, Michael would hate to lose his new favor punching bag to the system.

Temperance had learned the hard way to be awake when inevitably one of her foster parents came to retrieve her in the morning. Both Collier's had very inventive ways of waking up a sleeping child…

The snick of a lock and a load banging awakened her from her memories.

"Better get ready for school before Mike gets done shaving." Shirley warned. "And he'll be wantin' a tuna salad sandwich for lunch." With her message delivered, Shirley sauntered away to put the finishing touches on her gaudy make-up.

Temperance closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the day to come, before she hauled herself up the stairs.

The first thing she did was head to the kitchen, where she quickly and silently prepared Mr. Collier's lunch, complete with the 'requested' sandwich, a bag of chips, and thermos of coffee, all sitting on the counter waiting for their owner. Then she quickly rinsed her arms and face in the kitchen sink, inspecting and cleaning her wounds as fast as possible, before sneaking upstairs to her 'room'. Once she had entered her little closet and shut the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. She then moved over to the tiny pile of clothes on the floor and selected a tattered dress to replace the torn one she wore. She changed her socks and slipped her shoes back on before racking her fingers through her hair. Grabbing her books, she again crept out of her closet and back down the stairs.

"Oiyh! Where do you think you're goin' so fast!" The sound of the male Collier stopped her in her tracks. "I said, where are you goin' you ungrateful-"

"I'm just going to school," Temperance interrupted quietly. Michael's eyes narrowed.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you wench!" Temperance slowly turned and brought her eyes up to her foster father's chest. "Yessir."

"Good! Now don't you go interruptin' me again! I thought you mighta learned your lesson last night!" He grinned as he adjusted his watch on his wrist. "Now don't be shy 'bout tellin' all your friends how you was so clumsy and fell down the stairs last night. We wouldn't want you to get bad luck an' jinx yourself. Karma's a bitch. You might not escape so intact tonight." He gave her a menacing smile before heading for the kitchen. "Go on! What you standing there for! Get out!" He tossed over his shoulder. Temperance didn't hear the last part. She had already shut the front door behind her.

Temperance slide into her seat at the back of the class just as the school bell rang. Her tense shoulders finally relaxed as she pulled out her notebook and got ready to take notes.

"Today's lesson…" As her history teacher lectured on the foundations of the American government, Temperance revealed in the peace that always consumed her once her mind was engaged. Feeling at ease had become a novelty that she rarely experienced since the loss of her parents. She contented herself with taking copious notes, and although she never raised her hand or was called upon, she allowed herself to feel a slight joy that she knew all of the answers to the questions.

Unfortunately, her quiet peace was interrupted when a spit wad landed on her paper. Its arrival was followed by the snickers of a cluster of boys sitting two rows over. She flicked the offensive paper off of her desk and tried to refocus on the lesson.

"Hey," the boy nearest to her whispered. She didn't spare him a glance. "Hey, loser!" He called again. "My friends and I were wondering, if you are so smart, why you haven't ever figured out how to use a mirror!" His friends unsuccessfully tried to stifle their laughter. "I mean, wouldn't a _smart _person have figured out the _reason _ you don't have any friends?" More snickers. "Or are you really just so out of it that you don't care if you have any friends? Maybe that's what happens when you get carried around in garbage bags. Your brain is affected by the fumes!"

"Or it could be whatever is rotting in her hair!" Another of the boys answered. This caused actual laughter. The teacher stopped and turned to look at them.

"Is there something going on I should know about gentlemen?" She asked.

"Uh yeah!" The original pest responded. "I can't concentrate because brainiac over here smells like garbage bags! And she looks like she belongs in one too!" He high fived one of his friends.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Mr. Lasnack, but unfortunately the test next week will not be taking your olfactory senses into consideration." The boy just looked confused. The bell rang. "All right class. Please remember that your oral presentations begin tomorrow and we will be drawing names to determine the order. This is a big part of your grade people. Impress me." The students all began to file out of the room. Temperance did her best to blend in with the crowd as she made her way to her next class, hiding behind her curtain of hair. She tried to inconspicuously check for anything that may have hitched a free ride from the basement with her. She didn't find anything.

Luckily, since she was currently located in Philadelphia, she attended a large high school, so no one from her morning class was present in her next class. She was not so fortunate in 3rd period though, as the silent boy from this morning's festivities sat to her left, and spent the whole period making faces and waving his hand in front of his face. The girls surrounding him giggles appreciatively and quickly caught on.

By the time the lunch bell rang, the tension had returned to Temperance's shoulders. As usually, her foster parents didn't think it was necessary to give her money for lunch, so instead of heading to the crowded cafeteria, she headed for the library to do a bit of reading and to work on the homework that her home life didn't really allow time for. But unfortunately, today just didn't seem to be her day.

Just as she rounded the corner, the three boys from her history class entered from outside, laughing and brushing snow off of their coats. Their group had grown, including four other boys, two of which Temperance recalled being in one of her classes. Her favorite tormentor spotted her first.

"Hey look who it is fellas! The Garbage Bag Brainiac herself!" A round of laughter followed. "So where you going Garbage Bag? Someone need you to remove the smell from their gym socks?" Temperance merely looked away and began to move toward the library again. The troublesome boy stepped into her path. "Hey, where you going Garbage Bag? You know I was only kidding! Come on. I need my locker cleaned out. And you can have all the junk that's in it! Won't that be nice? Considered it an early Christmas present!" The other boys laughed again. She tried to move around him but he gripped her arm. "Now wasn't that ungrateful fellas! She should be glad I offered her a gift!" But Temperance didn't hear the last part. She was staring at his hand on her arm, paralyzed with fear. School was supposed to be her sanctuary, and she wasn't sure when it had turned into a nightmare. What was she going to do now? She had nothing… No one… She was all-alone.

Tears began to well up in her eyes. But she couldn't cry! Surely that would lead to further ridicule, to more punishment! What was she going to do? Later she would wonder why her usually quick mind hadn't registered that she had begun to hyperventilate.

"Hey cut it out guys, you are scaring her." A voice she hadn't heard before broke through her trance, and she shifted her eyes over to see a boy she had recognized as a classmate, but had overlooked in her desire to get away. "Come on Jeremy, knock it off. Haven't you had enough fun for one day?" That voice. It was deep and soothing… It had definitely not been one of the voices she had heard laughing at her. She would have recognized it.

"Aw! But Seel! She doesn't even fight back man! It's like she is asking us to push her!" A hand reached over and gently pulled the hand from her wrist.

"Let it go dude. Let's go get some lunch."

"Yeah come on man! She's no fun anymore!" With that, the group of friends gathered their buddy and began walking toward the cafeteria, laughing and joking as if nothing had happened. All except one.

"Are you all right?" The boy named… what was it? Seel? What an odd name. He had stayed behind and was now looking at her in concern. "You didn't look so good there for a minute, I thought you were going to faint!" She could only stare. "Hey, you okay?" His hand came to rest on her shoulder… On top of a fresh bruise from last night. Temperance yelped and jumped back.

"Yes I'm alright," she said a little breathlessly. Her hand instinctively came up to rest on her shoulder. He frowned.

"You don't look okay. Aside from your little display with Jeremy, I know an injury when I see one. And your shoulder is hurt." His liquid brown eyes boar deep into hers. "Football," was all he said in the way of explanation. When she still didn't respond, he tried again. "What happened?"

She sucked in a deep breath. "Oh nothing! Clumsy me tripped down the stairs last night!" She was a horrible liar. But since she had no friends, she had never had to cover up one of her foster father's beatings before. She supposed she would get better with practice… Not that she thought she would ever get the chance again.

"Uh huh." Those liquid brown eyes didn't look convinced in the slightest. "Mind if I take a look?" His hand reached out and lightly rested on her upper arm.

"Oh it's nothing really! I…" Her breathless reply was cut off as he pulled the material off of her shoulder and gently ran his fingers over the marks. "I'm Seeley by the way." His caress moved to her neck as he pushed her hair aside finding an older bruise that was still healing.

"Temperance." Came her meek reply. He pulled back and smiled, meeting her eyes confidently.

"Well Temperance, it looks harmless enough. Should clear up in a few days." She could easily read in his face that he knew more than he was saying. That stopped her thoughts short. She was terrible at reading people… And yet she was completely certain of her assessment.

"I told you so." She offered him a weak smile. In the back of her mind she was shocked to realize that it was the first smile to have made it onto her lips in longer than she could remember.

"So you did." His smile grew wider. "I'm sorry about my friends. They don't think sometimes." Her smile disappeared, and she woodenly accepted the apology. He laughed. "Oh THAT was sincere! Let me make it up to you." His grin widened as he bowed slightly and offered his arm. "Miss Temperance, may I treat you to lunch?" She stood still with her mouth agape.

"Oh no! You don't have to do that! Besides, I was just-"

"Sush! You best learn quickly not to argue with me, Temperance. I'm terribly stubborn." He pulled a face as if it were a great misfortune, but humor still danced in his eyes. Then something extraordinary happened. She laughed.

"Well, I guess I have no choice then." And so, she placed her hand delicately on his arm and was lead to the cafeteria.


	2. Chapter 2

Temperance couldn't remember the last time she had come to the school cafeteria of her own free will. There had been an assembly once when the gym floor was being re-waxed. She had no choice then. And then there was the time her physics teacher had brought them down to do some speed tests outside of the cramped classroom and noisy hallways. But other than that, there was really no reason for Temperance to ever venture to this part of the building.

She was surprised when Seeley came to a stop next to her and gently reached out to brush her hand.

"Hey, lighten up okay? There's nothing to be scared of! You are in the company of Seeley Booth after all!" Her head snapped up to see his boisterous grin. She must not have done a good job of hiding her surprise, because he laughter and said, "You slowed down as soon as we walked through the door! It's like you've got wads of gum on both your shoes! I promise I won't let anything bad happen to a 'guest of' mine!" He winked at her before slowly moving forward again. When she hesitated, his hand came down to hover over the small of her back, offering an invisible support as well as proving that he would not take no for an answer.

As they made their way through the busy maze of cramped and boisterous tables, she tried to keep her eyes on the floor. She didn't have to look up to know that dozens of eyes were glued to the pair as they walked across the sticky lunchroom floor. Wads of gum indeed. She also knew that those stares were probably accompanied by rushed whispers, and more than one girl had to be wishing a gaping hole would open up in the floor and swallow Temperance whole.

She took a quick glance up at her companion to see that he was having no problem acting casual. He had one of those charming smiles on his face that caused girls to swoon when he winked in their direction. Now and then he would nod to a fellow teammate, either completely oblivious to or ignoring the fact that their eyes would bug out at the sight of his hand resting anywhere near 'Garbage Bin'.

After what felt like hours of walking, the hand guiding her came to a stop at one of the long tables at the end of the cafeteria.

"Seeley! What took you so long man! We were starting to worry Kristen Newman had finally cornered you alone!" There were laughs from those sitting close enough to hear the exchange.

"Kristen isn't here then?" It was strange, she had only known this boy for 10 minutes at most, and she could already tell from the tone of his voice that there was a slight frown on his face. Maybe she was better at reading people than she thought.

"Nope. Haven't seen her since Bio. Although, she was laying it on pretty thick with that new guy who just moved in from Central, so maybe she is getting lucky with someone else." Temperance caught the movement of Seeley's shoulders from the corner of her eye as he moved to pull out a chair.

"Fine by me. She was getting on my nerves." Temperance was surprised when he turned to her and gestured to the chair he had just pulled out. "For you my lady," he said as a genuine smile crossed his face. She slowly inched toward the offered seat, and once again his hand came out to rest on her back, giving her silent support as she prepared herself for the onslaught from Seeley's group of friends. She didn't have to wait long.

"Wow! I think you are confused Seel! Bring a nerd to lunch day is next week!" More laughter. Temperance moved so that her long auburn hair hung in a curtain around her face. Another biting comment came from her right, and she heard the legs of the chair next to her scrap across the linoleum as its occupant made a show of moving away from her. She tensed to stand, her rapid heartbeat drowning out the comments. The comforting hand returned to her shoulder as the chair to her right was filled with one Seeley Booth, who moved closer to her once he was seated.

"Hey! None of that Paul." His voice was firm and full of command, but when Temperance glanced up at him through her hair, his face was relaxed and he wore a pleasant smile. Silence engulfed the table for a moment more before he gave her shoulder a squeeze and removed his hand. "Temperance is a friend of mine, and I won't have you being anything less than gentlemen in her presence." He caught her eye and smiled before turning back to his friends. "So did anyone else hear about Michael Bullen striking out with Olivia from the volleyball team?" And just like that the focus shifted from her to the usual mundane topics of who was dating whom and what was going on this weekend.

Temperance kept her head bowed and stared at the table in front of her. She knew nothing of the subjects they were speaking of, and even if she did, she had no desire to bring attention to herself. Her stomach growled as her brain registered the smell of food around her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to think about how hungry she was. When she opened her eyes again, there was half a turkey sandwich sitting on the table in front of her. Her head snapped up to see none other than Seeley Booth working his way through the other half of the sandwich, animatedly gesturing with his other hand. When the attention of the table diverted from him momentarily, he shot a quick wink and a smile in her direction.

She picked up the sandwich and tried to eat as slowly as possible. She didn't want to devour the whole thing like some wild animal. As she munched away, she raised her head enough so that she could observe what was going on without actually being noticed. The topic of conversation was still as dull as before, but she found the body language of her subjects quiet fascinating. No matter the physical status of the males around her, they all seemed to orient themselves around Seeley, vying for his attention and praise. It was even to the point that when he spoke, the rest of the table immediately calmed in order to hear what he had to say, before resuming their free for all in which they struggled to be heard over one another. And even more interestingly, Seeley himself didn't seem to notice. He didn't appear to think of himself as being higher than the others, nor did he flaunt the attention he received. In fact, if she didn't know any better, she would say that he tried to fade into the background, just like her.

She didn't realize how intently she was staring until his eyes suddenly met hers. She jerked her gaze away, but a hand quickly landed on hers, bringing her gaze back up to his, where he offered her one of those genuine, from the heart smiles.

Then the bell rang, and the usual chaos ensued as groups of friends still laughing began to shuffle reluctantly to their classes. Just as she was beginning to feel lost and a bit claustrophobic, a warm hand reached down and landed on her back again, guiding her safely into the hallway.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been three days since Temperance had last seen Seeley Booth. After lunch on Monday, Seeley had walked her to class, unnecessarily, and left her with a grin and a mandate for lunch the next day. She had finished her day in a puzzled fog, confused by both his kind nature and the queasy nervousness in the pit of her stomach. If the thought bothered her so much, why didn't she just make her excuses and not eat lunch with him again?

She was even more flummoxed when the thought of not seeing him made her even more anxious.

Unfortunately, she never got the chance to make the decision.

The male Collier had gotten into a tiff with a coworker, and had come home earlier than expected. Temperance had to stay home until the swelling on her cheek was less noticeable and the knot on her forehead had turned from deep purple to a sickly green color.

Despite her displeasure at being barred from school, her one comfort zone, the long hours spent in the Collier home while they were working allowed her the rare chance to wash her few articles of clothing in the washing machine without incident. It also afforded her with the opportunity to take showers at her leisure, as long as she was weary of the random occurrence of Mrs. Collier coming home for lunch.

Friday morning, she waited hidden in her closet until well after the Colliers' cars had purred from the driveway. When she finally emerged, she headed for the bathroom for a quick shower. She put on her freshly laundered, worn jeans, and the baggy polo she had snuck from the bottom of Mrs. Collier's Goodwill bound box of throwaways.

After hastily running a brush through her still wet locks and throwing on her tennis shoes, Temperance grabbed her backpack and hastily made her way to Marion Hill High. She sprinted the seven blocks there, and managed to blend easily with the crowd as it moved from 1st to 2nd period. She would just have to drop by Ms. Nelson's room during lunch to see what she had missed in history the last few days. Luckily, Mr. Collier had made sure her absences were excused, so it shouldn't be too much trouble to catch up. And her sickness could also double as an excuse for her late arrival this morning. Ms. Nelson shouldn't mind. Being the new 'troubled foster student' did have its advantages sometimes.

Despite her late arrival to the building, Temperance was still one of the first to slide into her chair in her biology classroom. Most of the students preferred to mill about in the hallway until they were threatened with detention. At least some things didn't change from school to school, or even state to state. She took the moment of relative calm to collect her thoughts, and shove all of the negative feelings from the last three days into a neat box labeled 'Collier' in the dark recesses of her mind. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and was startled by the image of none other than Seeley Booth, confidently making his way toward her.

"Alright, I know the guys aren't the nicest to new students, but was lunch really so bad you had to disappear for three days?" He offered her a light-hearted grin before plopping into the seat next to her. She briefly wondered what the student who normally sat there was going to do with himself before she had to refocus her attention on the boy next to her. "And don't think I'm going to let you off the hook so easily either! You are still having lunch with me, although I would be willing to change the location if it was really that traumatizing for you. I'm not going to be responsible for your lack of education!" The bell rang and he sent her a huge mega watt smile before positioning himself so that he was facing the teacher while his body was still turned toward Temperance. For a moment, she awkwardly wondered if it would be rude to turn her attention to the front of the room, before the teacher launched into an explanation of this weeks curriculum, and she was instantly consumed in everything he was saying.

For twenty minutes, Temperance remained entirely absorbed in the lecture. She would have become completely immune to the presence next to her, but the unusual absence of the uncomfortable feeling she normally associated with sharing space with another student puzzled her, even if it did leave her feeling more relaxed than she had felt in days.

As Mr. Lund shifted PowerPoint slides, Seeley leaned over to whisper in her ear. "You sure are writing a lot there Temperance." The way he said her name with an almost reverence sent a shiver down her spine. What was it about this boy's voice that had her immune system careening out of control? "Do you actually understand all of this? He lost me at phalanges." Her lips curved slightly upward.

"It's not too difficult. The human body is an incredible thing, and the bones beneath it serve as the structure that supports everything else, like the steel beams in the center of a sky scrapper. They, the bones, as well as the body as a whole, should be viewed with respect." She glanced over to see him staring at her intently, as if he thought if he stared hard enough, he would be able to see _her_ bones. Great! He probably thought she was a freak now. She silently berated herself for ruining a potential acquaintance before he had even had the chance to sneer at her home life.

"Wow. I never thought of it that way before… Do you think you could help me with it sometime? At lunch maybe? I don't want to cut into your free time, but this stuff really goes right over my head. I…"

"Mr. Booth. I'm sure whatever you have to say to our new student is very charming and will no doubt leave you both feeling all warm and fuzz, but can it please wait until after I have finished my lecture?"

Temperance blushed and quickly ducked her head, using her hair to shield her face. She let her partner in crime stammer out their excuses while she tried unsuccessfully to become part of her chair. After a few more embarrassing moments, the teacher returned to his lecture. Temperance was able to relax enough to retrieve her pencil and begin taking notes again. She didn't look at Seeley.

A ripped piece of paper slipped into her field of vision. She glanced sideways at it. "I really meant what I said. I can pay you or something. Maybe buy you lunch days you help me out? I really need to pass this class, and I'm not doing so well right now." The note was signed with a sad face and a question mark. What? He was seriously asking for her help? She peaked at him through her hair and saw that he was attempting to look like he was paying attention by avidly watching the power point and holding his pen poised on the paper. The slight furrowing of his brow told her he had no idea what a bone marrow transplant had to do with the immune system. She smirked slightly.

"No payment needed. And lunch sounds like a good idea. We could head to the library to study." She nudged the paper back in his direction, and she could see him quickly scan it out of the corner of his eye. She thought she saw him smile before the lights came on and Mr. Lund began walking around the room handing out the homework assignment.

"Don't forget people! We have a group project coming up soon and it is going to take some effort, so I wouldn't leave it to the last minute. Be thinking about your topic! Thank you!" The bell rang and chairs began scrapping as students rushed to lunch. Temperance hung back a little to avoid the thick of the crowd and was pleasantly surprised when Seeley hung back with her. "So, I don't know about you, but I'm starved. How about we grab a quick bite to eat before we head to the library?" He smiled at her and they stood in unison. She couldn't help the answering smile that formed on her face.

"Sounds like a plan to me." She gathered her books in her arms, struggling with the volume, as she hadn't been able to visit her locker this morning. Seeley laughed.

"Here, let me help you with that. You should really get some meat on those bones! All these books are going to snap you like a twig!" He grinned as he easily balanced her books in one arm with his in the other. She opened her mouth to protest, but he was too quick. "So how do you feel about tacos? My treat." And with that he set off in the direction of the cafeteria, leaving her no choice but to follow or lose her books. She couldn't help but notice that he shortened his stride so that she could easily catch up.


	4. Chapter 4

The cafeteria was just as hectic as always, students milling around talking to friends, standing in lines, the occasion class clown running from a girl in tight clothes, squealing for her books but not really attempting to reach them.

As she was growing accustomed, when she walked with Seeley it was impossible for her to blend into the background. He was greeted by a startling number of people, which he took in stride, nodding and smiling with the occasion high five or inside joke tossed over his shoulder. What was even more impressive to Temperance was that he didn't seem to notice the attention. While he was careful to show the proper attention to all of his friends and acquaintances, he never broke stride, and his attention would return to Temperance at the end of every encounter, never clarifying with more than a name and smile.

"So what about you? You like music?"

"I guess."

"You guess?" He raised an eyebrow and quirked a smile at her. "Everyone likes music! That was an invitation for you tell me what kind you liked." He said the last bit in a conspiratorial whisper, gesturing with one hand while picking up a tray with the other. Temperance frowned.

"Then why didn't you just ask what kind of music I like?" Seeley turned around and studied her for a moment before the smile grew on his face again.

"What kind of music do you like?" He faced forward again while keeping his body angled toward Temperance, awaiting her answer.

"I don't have a preference really." She received a quick quizzical look before he was addressed by one of the stout, angry looking lunch ladies.

"Hey there Mary! What looks good today?" Temperance watched in fascination, the bored looking woman seemed to break free from her statuesque, cold demeanor as if the words had breathed life back into her.

"Seeley! I wondered what was takin' you so long! You're usually one of the first ones down here!" Without asking what he wanted, the woman Mary pulled out a paper plate and began spooning rice onto it. "You havin' a good day Seeley? You've been lookin' pretty down the last few days." Temperance glanced up at his face. He was staring intently at the plate Mary was preparing, which was currently acquiring a rather large taco. She swore she saw his cheeks color a bit.

"No big deal, just had some stuff going on…" He sounded more monotone than she thought he was capable of, and his expression was nothing like his usual happy go lucky self. She reached out to place her hand on his arm, but stopped herself just an inch from his skin. What was she doing? She didn't know him, or anyone else for that matter, well enough to claim the right to comfort them. But her hand had acted on its own, and before she could question it further, it was on his arm. How did that get there? She flushed when he turned to look at her. Her eyes immediately went to the floor and her hand darted behind her back. He watched her for a moment before a smile broke out on his face and he turned back to 'Mary', who was handing over a plate heaped with tacos and rice.

"Well I'm glad to see you lookin' better! You take care of yourself now!" She pulled back, and Temperance saw her almost physically shrink back into a gargoyle. Guessing that this meant the transaction was over, Temperance began to move forward to the end of the line when she felt a large warm hand wrap around her own.

"Actually Mary I have a guest with me today." Seeley gave her hand a tug and Temperance turned to meet the curious eyes of the lunch lady. She blushed and ducked her head, hiding behind her hair. "You think you could whip her up a plate to?"

"Sure hon'. What'll it be?"

There was a long pause and Temperance glanced up to see both Seeley and Mary watching her intently. "Um… I guess I'll just have a taco." Mary raised her eyebrows and glanced at Seeley.

"One taco, coming right up."

Seeley squeezed the hand that Temperance was surprised to find he was still holding. "She'll also have some of that delicious rice you make so well. And throw in a churro too."

Temperance looked up and began to protest but was shushed.

"I pay, I decide how much you get to order." He gave her a kind smile that sent warmth shooting toward her toes, which she decided was ample reason to study her feet while Mary made her plate.

"Here you go." Temperance looked up to retrieve here plate, only to see Seeley already accepting it, placing it on the tray next to his own heaping mound of food.

"Thanks Mary." He finally dropped her hand in order to scoop up the tray, and Temperance was surprised how sad she was at the loss of warmth. She trailed behind Seeley who walked over to the crates of beverages and stood behind him as he browsed the selections. "So what would you like?"

"Anything is fine." She was trying her best to make herself invisible, since a group of Seeley's friends had materialized behind them while they had been waiting for her food, and Temperance could hear bits and pieces of their whispers and giggles. They were talking about her. And Seeley.

She felt the man himself looking at her, followed by a short pause.

"Well I can't decide if I'm feeling like lemonade or water, so I'll grab both and you can have whichever you like." Then somehow, tray and all, she felt his hand on her lower back again, guiding her swiftly toward the checkouts. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he guided her closer to his body, adopting a protective stance that she found mildly annoying, but she was too grateful to really ruminate on that fact.

After a speedy check out, in which Temperance was too on edge to even pay attention to how much Seeley was spending on her so that she could sneak the money back to him later, the pair was finally in the relative safety of the hallway, where they slowed their pace. They were both silent for several seconds before Temperance surprised them both.

"I like jazz."

"Huh?"

"You asked what kind of music I like. I like jazz."

"Really? Cool." She could hear the smile in his voice without even looking up. But she couldn't help herself. She glanced up, but her gaze got stuck when they made eye contact.

"I like classic rock too." She managed to break the spell and focus on the hallway in front of her. "And some country, although most of it all sounds the same to me." Her nose wrinkled slightly and he chuckled. "So what about you?" They were in front of the library and Temperance dropped to the floor and leaned against a wall. Seeley maneuvered his load of books and food before settling beside her.

"I'm a big fan of classic rock actually." He set the tray on his lap and handed Temperance her plate. "Water or lemonade?" He looked over to see she had already stuffed the taco in her mouth and happily, if not rather rapidly, chewing away. "Woah! What's the rush! We've still got a solid twenty minutes!" She struggled to swallow the huge bite, and reached for the lemonade to wash it down.

"Sorry. I'm just really hungry." She took a big swig of the lemonade before grabbing the taco again. She didn't really mind eating like a pig in front of Seeley. She was comfortable. It was strange, but she didn't think he would judge her for something as silly as her eating habits. She smiled around her food. She could get used to this kind of comfort. If only it would last.

"Skip breakfast?" Seeley spoke around a bite of his own taco, reaching for the water she had rejected.

"Mmhmm." She shoved another bite of food into her mouth, this time to avoid having to form actual words. It wasn't really a lie, she hadn't eaten breakfast. She didn't need to broadcast the fact that she also hadn't eaten lunch of dinner the day before. Mrs. Collier had gotten off early yesterday and Temperance had spent the afternoon and evening hiding in her room. She tore into another bite of her dwindling taco.

"We have to get some meat on those bones Temperance! One day the wind is going to knock you over! What time do you get to school?"

"I usually get here a little earlier than everyone else to get some work done in the library. Why?"

"Great! Because from now on, you will be joining me for breakfast. And maybe you could look over my bio homework while we eat?" She looked up and his face was absolutely pitiful. She giggled, something she couldn't recall having done since she lost her parents. That sobered her quickly.

"What's so funny?" He turned his pout toward her.

"Nothing. Why don't we look at the bio assignment? She shifted her half finished plate off of her lap to the floor next to her and reached for her books which were on the other side of Seeley. He quickly shoved them out of her reach.

"Hey. Hold on a second. You okay?" She focused on the floor and nodded her head, reaching for her books again.

"I'm fine. I just think we need to get to work."

"Okay. Just finish your food first."

"I'm not hungry anymore." She continued to stare at the floor.

"Temperance."He paused for a moment waiting for her to respond. When she didn't, he moved his fingers to the underside of her chin, coaxing her to look into his soulful brown eyes. "What's wrong?"

Before Seeley could react, Temperance had bolted upright and grabbed her books. Without a word she rushed down the hall and around the corner, hurrying toward the sanctuary of her next class. For the rest of the day, only half of her attention was focused on school. The other half was trying to drown out the repeating track running through her head, Seeley Booth calling after her, sounding hurt and confused.


	5. Chapter 5

Just so everyone knows, I have been working on this chapter for MONTHS! Literally, I get it out to work on it, and then not finish it, save it, and then rewrite the whole thing when I finally open it again! Ugh! I am so sorry to everyone who keeps reviewing asking for more =( Also, is anyone else pissed off that last season and the beginning of this season suck? Seriously, can we have the writers from before the writer's strike back? Please and thank you! O_o

Not for the first time, Temperance woke up dreading getting out of bed. However, it was unusual for the cause was something other than her foster family. Even more unusual that she did not look forward to going to school, normally her sanctuary.

She preformed her morning rituals with little enthusiasm. Although she rarely took pleasure in making Mr. Collier's lunch anyway, today the task seemed to be even more dull and insulting.

The Colliers had, through some stroke of luck for Temperance, been invited to spend Saturday night with some friends at their cabin in the woods. A 'rustic getaway' she had heard Mrs. Collier call it. This afforded her the opportunity to do her homework at the kitchen table under an actual overhead light. She reveled in the experience as long as possible, getting caught up after her three day absence. Of course, she had been given a list of chores that were to be completed before 'the eminent return' as she called it, which had been left with a lingering, "or else," and the slam of the front door. She worked well into the night, before retreating to be closet, too afraid to sleep in the bed in the anteroom for fear that the Colliers would come home early and catch her.

Once they returned, Mrs. Collier, in a rare display of kindness, if she truly was without motive, allowed her to eat the leftovers from Tuesday night's meat loaf.

"May as well let ya' eat it. If we put it out with the trash, the coons'll get in the hopper again. They make such a terrible mess!" Temperance didn't comment, instead going to scrub her empty plate.

She dragged her feet on the way to school, breaking her custom of arriving early, instead blending in with the rest of the student body. While this did enable her to minimize her chances of seeing Seeley, she gritted her teeth at the unavoidable jostling of the crowded hallways.

She slipped into her seat with a sigh of relief, organizing and reorganizing her books in a fit of nerves. Normally, she would have had absolutely no problem sitting perfectly still waiting for class to start, maybe reviewing her notes from the previous class. She loathed that she had let some stupid boy, someone she didn't really even know that well, shake her from the steady routine.

The bell rang as the last of the laughing stragglers sauntered through the door. Ms. Nelson shot them a stern look, one they ignored, and closed the door behind them.

"Alright guys! I hope you all had a lovely weekend, but it's time to get back to business. We have a big test this Friday-," most of the room groaned at this. Temperance thought she saw Ms. Nelson's lip twitch upward at the sound. "And to help everyone prepare, we will be having a little pop quiz!" She hoisted a stack of papers from her desks as the groaning increased in volume. She heard several curses from the boys behind her, and despite herself, she felt her mood lift just a tiny bit as she listened to the sounds of her classmates shuffling their belongings. This was just what she needed, a distraction.

She was able to get through the next two classes with far more comfortably then she had anticipated. Sure the queasy feeling of guilt would flare in her stomach at odd intervals, but dealing with her many foster families had afforded her the ability to shove nasty and uncomfortable thoughts to the back of her mind with relative ease. As long as she stayed focused on her schoolwork, she was just fine.

But her calm demeanor was shattered as soon as she walked into her third period class. She froze halfway to her desk when she saw that Seeley, despite her rash behavior the week before, was sitting in the seat next to hers. Though she would have found her relief and anxiety conflicting, she was horrified that she was unable to feel either. As she watched the perfect blonde cheerleader twirl her hair and lean seductively over Seeley's desk, all Temperance could feel was the snarling jealous monster that seemed to have burst into existence, however impossible, in her stomach.

A rather loud male specimen in her class slammed into her back, tossing curse words in her direction as she careened forward. She was propelled forward red faced to her seat, trying to escape the laughter that seemed to surround her and close in, threatening her lung capacity.

Temperance slide into her seat and hid behind the curtain of her hair, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to block out the shrill laughter of the girl now pouting a few inches from Seeley's face.

"Miss Fredricks! Would you mind taking your seat please! This is not the time, nor the place to be wooing Mr. Booth!" Temperance glanced up. A few of the jocks and the girl's friends chuckled as Ms. Blonde and Perky humphed and stood up straight, throwing a smile and a wink over her shoulder as she made her way to her seat in the front corner of the room. Temperance refocused on the smooth black surface of the lab table and waited for the bell to ring.

A hand came into view and gently rested on top of hers, before retreating as soon as the bell rang. After a few minutes of class time, half of it spent with her attention up front, half spent sending glances at her desk partner, Temperance decided that it must have been her imagination running wild. He never took his eyes off of the projector, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

With this observation, Temperance allowed herself to relax, her shoulders un-tensing and her focus gradually shifting to being directed solely on her teacher. She really did love Biology.

It wasn't until there were only 10 minutes left of class that a piece of paper slipped into her view, not dissimilar to the occurrence last week.

"I'm sorry." Was all it sad. Being careful to make it look like she was taking notes, Temperance jotted a response.

"It's not really your fault. I'm sorry if I overreacted." Honestly, she was too relieved to even think about what the possible ramifications of reforming this 'friendship' would be, she was just too happy that he was talking to her again and not joining his friends in the name calling. She scolded herself as soon as that thought crossed her mind. Seeley wasn't anything like those Neanderthals he called friends. The paper was back.

"Can we still do lunch? Maybe you can tell me what on Earth Mr. B has been rambling about all hour?"

Temperance felt her metaphorical heart drop. He just needed his tutor back. But that was okay, at least she could get some food out of the deal. Maybe he could even get his friends off her back a little bit. She got enough emotional beating from her step father thank-you-very-much.

"Sure." Was all she wrote back. She thought she felt Seeley smiling at her, but decided it must be her imagination again since she never took her eyes off of the teacher and her notes, and 'feeling' someone else's facial expressions was just absurd. When the bell rung a few minutes later, Temperance took her time collecting her things, allowing the rest of the class to stream out around her.

She was once again struck by her metaphorical heart contracting as the perky blonde returned to flirt with Seeley all the way to the cafeteria.

"Actually Ann, I'm getting some tutoring during lunch today." Temperance's lips quirked up involuntarily as she concentrated extra hard on putting her pencil away. "Gotta keep the grades up to stay on the football team you know." Temperance shouldered her bag and stood, glancing at the 'Ann' to see her pouting in a rather pathetic manner and talking like a baby, trying to get Seeley to come with her 'for just a few minutes'.

"I'm really sorry Ann." He didn't look sorry. He stood and smiled at the blonde before turning to Temperance. "Ready to go Bones? I'm feeling like a burger today." He placed his hand on the small of her back, Ann left forgotten behind them.

"Bones?"

"Yeah, because you are good with bones and muscles and stuff. I'd call you Anatomy, but that sounds insulting. And Muscles would only apply if you ate more." He gave her a stern look.

"Don't call me Bones!"

Seeley just laughed.

Whew! FINALLY done! So, I'm thinking of maybe doing a bit of a time jump between this chapter and the next. Help move the plot along faster. Let me know what you think! Also, if anyone has plot suggestions, I'm totally open to it, because as the updating shows, I have some serious writer's block when it comes to this story. D=

Hope you liked it! Yell at me through reviews if I'm taking too long again, helps me remember to bang my head against the computer every once in a while!


	6. Chapter 6

I tried to start writing this a couple of times, but I just can't write about eating food when I don't have any! It's just painful and cruel to my tummy. =(

Temperance swallowed a rather large bite of her burger before laughing merrily at Seeley's attempt to shovel chips into his mouth and name the bones and muscles of the arm at the same time. He wasn't having much luck with either, more chips landing on his shirt than in his mouth.

"I'm sorry to say that the 'radical huberest' is not part of the human body. Anywhere." She continued to grin as she leaned forward to brush crumbs off of his shirt, startling herself with the almost instinctual nature of the contact. She pulled back quickly, a light blush coloring her cheeks, but Seeley either hadn't noticed or was letting her actions slide.

"See Bones? This stuff just does not click for me!" He tossed the remains of his burger down on the plate beside him and twisted so that he was sitting facing her instead of the lockers across the hall. "I mean, they just don't make sense. How am I supposed to remember which bone is which when they all have random names that sound exactly alike?"

"Actually, most of the names are based on the Greek root with a similar meaning." She tossed a chip in her mouth while maintaining eye contact with her companion, who quirked an eyebrow.

"Who's bright idea was it to name bones after plants?" They stared at each other for a moment before Seeley grinned, and Temperance realized that he was joking. She laughed quietly. "So since I don't know Greek, any suggestions for how I can memorize this stuff?" Temperance paused, her eyes moving to the ceiling while she pondered, though the smile never left her face.

"Hmm… I'll have to think about that one. I usually remember them by rereading the diagram a couple of times, which clearly isn't working here."

"That would be because you are smarter than me Bones." His tone was so nonchalant that Temperance felt a sudden stab of heat in her stomach that she could only identify as indignation.

"That's not true at all Seeley!" He looked slightly taken aback by the fire in her eyes and she quickly moved to explain herself. "You just have a different learning style than I do, but that does not make you any less smart than I. Just because this isn't an easy subject for you to learn, doesn't mean you should underestimate your intelligence."

He shot her one of his easy smiles and reached out to place a hand on hers.

"Thanks Bones. But I wasn't putting myself down, I was complementing you." Temperance managed to give him a skeptical look and a flattered smile at the same time, before delivering an empowered, "don't call me Bones!" Seeley opened his mouth to retort just as the bell rang. Both Seeley and Temperance looked around in surprise.

"Were we really out here that long?" Seeley began reaching for the items nearest him, alternating between throwing things haphazardly into his backpack and handing things to Temperance, who was hurried collecting her books before the halls became flooded with the post lunch crowd.

"Apparently so." Temperance herself was slightly flummoxed that her internal clock had failed her. "We were in line in the cafeteria for quite a while." She gave a firm nod at her rational explanation, although, it didn't really have the ring of truth to it. Seeley gathered the remains of their lunch and tossed them into a nearby trash can. He looked as disappointed as she felt. She shoved the feeling aside. She loved school, it was her safe haven. There was absolutely no reason for her to feel remorse for having to go to class.

"Well Bones, I guess this is good-bye for now." Temperance finished straightening herself and her belongs and faced Booth, as students began to mil about them. She tried to maintain her smile while her anxiety grew at the thought of facing the rest of the day, and her classmates, without him. She mentally berated herself for being so weak as to grow dependant on anyone other than herself, especially so quickly. Hadn't she learned time and again that she could trust no one? Booth seemed to read her expression and reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, moving closer to her so that they were only separated by a few inches. She looked up into his face uncertainly.

"I'll see you tomorrow in Biology." His voice was soothing, but she could still hear the command in it. She felt a slight tightening of her stomach at the thought of being ordered to do anything. She had precious little control as it was. But even through her annoyance, she felt as though that command was not meant for her, although she couldn't think of who else he would mean it for. The universe maybe? That seemed rather ineffectual to her.

She bit back her retort.

Never the less, she felt a sense of calm spreading through her when she gazed up into his eyes, and a genuine smile returned to her face.

"Of course, Seeley." The grin returned to his face as well, and he gave her shoulder a light squeeze before moving back, obviously intending to make his way to class.

"See ya!" He grinned and turned, moving away from her.

"Seeley! She suddenly called, the thick crowd rushing around her obscured her view of him for a moment before she was able to lock eyes with him. This time she wasn't even aware of the stares of her fellow students as she grinned cheekily in his direction. "Don't call me Bones!"

And with that, she spun on her heel and began making her way to Algebra.

Later, when the boys who sat behind her in Spanish began to snickering at her expense and her cheeks began to flame, the image of Seeley's mega watt smile disappearing in the crowd after lunch surfaced in her mind, and she smiled down at her notes. If only his image could provide the same peace for her at home. She sobered quickly at the thought and focused on perfecting her pronunciation as she repeated after the teacher.


	7. Chapter 7

Temperance left for school earlier than usual that morning. She had spent the night in the basement, which grew rather cold in the evenings. It was still early October, and although the first few light snows had melted upon hitting the ground, it wasn't going to be long before she stared seeing her breath in the moonlight streaming through the windows.

The cold and her constant state of exhaustion had put her to sleep as soon as she had pulled the ratty blanket over her head, and it wasn't until she awoke the next morning that she realized she had landed on her ankle wrong as she tumbled down the stairs the night before.

The pain had woken her well before the sun came up, and she had started her chores immediately to insure that they were done on time. Even with the head start, she had only just finished and retreated to her closet when Mr. Colier had gone sauntering down the stairs, whistling jovially to himself while straightening his tie.

She had gone about her own morning rituals as fast as possible, foregoing trying to sneak a peak in the bathroom mirror and hopping like hell she looked presentable enough to belie any suspicion. After she had slipped out the back door, to avoid a still present Mrs. Colier, and hobbled her way down the alley, she knew that she was going to be late for school. She was moving entirely too slow, but the pain was already enough to make her want to scream.

She had just managed a little over two blocks when a rusted blue pickup pulled alongside the curb next to her and honked its horn. Temperance groaned internally. Just what she needed, in pain, late, and now she was being harassed. She tried to walk faster, but this only caused her to stumbled, and a film of tears covered her eyes as her ankle jarred painfully as it took on its equal share of her weight.

She heard a car door slam and realized that she had been standing awkwardly still in the middle of the side walk. Taking a deep breath to brace herself, she gingerly picked up her foot.

"Wow! Easy there Bones!" She froze mid-step, her head snapping up to look at Seeley who had materialized next to her. One of his hands came to rest on her lower back while he placed his other on her shoulder to steady her. She immediately leaned back into his supporting hand, gritting her teeth at her own weakness. Even though she had lowered her gaze to stare at the cracks in the sidewalk, she could feel his frown on the top of her scalp. They stood in silence for a few moments, and Temperance couldn't help but wonder if this is what animals at the zoo felt like, being examined without a means of escape. "Why don't you let me give you a ride to school today? I've got my football stuff with me. I'll see if I can't do something to help out your foot." She felt pressure on her back and planted her good foot more firmly on the ground.

"That won't be necessary. I can get there fine on my own." Temperance heard the surrender in her voice before she had even finished the statement and sighed in frustration. There was no way she could make it all ten blocks to school without her ankle giving out. She felt stupid for even trying, and feeling stupid was not something Temperance Brennan was accustomed to. "And it's not my foot." She looked up to meet his gaze. "It's my ankle." He gave her a pained smile.

"Sorry, I'll see what I can do for you _ankle_ then. Come on Bones." He picked up her arm and draped it around his shoulders, wrapping his own arm around her waist while she muttered, "Don't call me Bones," under her breath. She blushed as she was pulled flush against him and they began moving to his truck. She had little energy to focus on their position however once she tried to put pressure on her foot. Without the sense of desperation, her adrenaline rush had dissipated, and her mind was fully processing the amount of pain radiating up her calf. With a groan she allowed most of her weight to be transferred to Seeley, who was practically dragging her along beside him.

"Oh this is ridiculous!" He came to a sudden stop and Temperance's head whipped up to look at him in panic. Before she had time to voice her thoughts however, she felt the sidewalk disappear from underneath her and she squealed as she locked her arms around Seeley's neck.

"What are you doing?" She cried as they once again began moving toward his truck. She shrank back against his chest. He really was rather tall.

"What does it look like?" He grinned down at her. "I'm carrying you."

"Is that really necessary? We were ten feet from the car!" He gently set her down so that she could lean against the truck bed while he opened her door.

"Maybe not. But it was way faster, and I really can't afford to be late again this week." He turned to wink at her. "Unless it's for a good cause." She felt a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach as he helped her into the passenger side of his car. She was never very good at reading people or situations, but it had all come so naturally with Seeley. Maybe she had been wrong this whole time. Maybe this 'good cause' he was mentioning was his way of letting her know that he had an ulterior motive.

"Look Seeley, I-" Her voice disappeared and her eyes slammed shut. Seeley was kneeling on the ground next to her seat with her foot held delicately in his hand. He made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat and looked up at her.

"Do you mind if I take off your shoe?" Still unable to find her voice she gave him a slight nod and watched as he bowed his head again. His fingers ghosted over the laces of her worn out Keds, brushing the laces back and removing her shoe as gently as possible. Still she let out a pained hiss as her foot as freed. Seeley let out a low whistle. "Geez Bones, that looks like quite a doozie. How did you manage this?" His fingers brushed over her skin, delicately prodding to feel for broken bones.

"I don't-" She sucked in another breath as he hit a particularly tender spot. "-know what that means." She winced and ignored his question. "And don't call me Bones." He grimaced as he met her gaze.

"Well, lucky for you, I won't have to call you broken bones. Looks like a really bad sprain. I can wrap it for you, but you should really go to a doctor. And definitely stay off of it. Would you like me to take you back home?"

"No!" Temperance was so startled she tried to jump out of his truck. Where she was going or how she was going to get there were only afterthoughts. Seeley leapt up and caught her by the arms, firmly holding her to the seat. She began pounding on his chest with her fists. She never noticed the stray tears had managed to fight their way down her cheek.

"Wow! Easy there Bones! I won't take you home okay? Just calm down." She continued to struggle. Seeley pulled her tight against his chest, effectively pinning her arms while he gently stroked her back. "Shh. It's okay Temperance. Just calm down. I'll fix up your ankle and we'll go to school and everything will be fine. Shh. It's all going to be okay. I've got you. Shh…" Temperance stilled in his arms, but he continued to hold her for a few minutes longer, making make sure that she wasn't going to try to make another break for it. Finally, he pulled back and looked into her eyes, brushing her hair back from her cheek while she took a shaky, calming breath. "You okay?" She nodded mutely and he sent her a soft smile. "Good. Now think you could hand me that bag behind you?" She twisted in her seat and noticed a black gym bag behind her.

Although he handled her foot as though it were made of blown glass, Temperance's ankle throbbed painfully when Seeley finally placed the last strip of tape several long minutes later. She groaned as she turned to face the front of the truck and Seeley closed her door, tossing his gym bag in the truck bed with her backpack while he walked around to his own door.

"Here, these won't help much, but hopefully they'll take the edge off." Seeley leaned across her and handed her a bottle of aspirin from the glove compartment. "Keep the bottle with you. You are going to need them today." He glanced at her in concern as she dry swallowed two pills while she pocketed the rest.

"Thanks Seeley." She closed her eyes and leaned against the window as Seeley drove toward the school, glancing over at her still form every few seconds. Despite the pain, her lips curved up slightly.

Hurray progress! Now if only my internet would work so that I could actually post this chapter. =/

I know it's nothing you haven't heard before, but I am trying to stay more on top of this story, but I work a lot, and I would really like to have a life sometimes. Makes existing more interesting ;)

Reviews please!


	8. Chapter 8

Despite her protests, Seeley insisted on walking her to class, but walking mostly turned into carrying when they realized just how much time it had taken Seeley to wrap Temperance's ankle.

"Seeley! Put me down! You said yourself that you can't afford to be late again, and your first class is on the other side of the building! If you take me all the way to my class, you are going to be late." Temperance struggled to get her feet under her as Seeley had his arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her feet off the ground as he hustled her down the hallway. While she appreciated his gesture, the way she was being held was beginning to aggravate her side, which she suspected had a fairly nasty bruise from last night.

"Stop wiggling Bones! Or I'm going to drop you!" Booth jostled her a little bit and tightened his grip. She ground her teeth together and held back a whimper.

"Look, there's the girls' restroom. Just drop me off there and I'll explain to Ms. Nielson that I sprained my ankle, and I was moving slower than anticipated this morning." Her chauffer hesitated for a moment, but continued on past the restroom. Temperance groaned inwardly and gripped Seeley's left shoulder tighter.

"We're almost there Bones, no point in stopping now."

She sighed when she saw her classroom come into view and Seeley slowed down, gradually letting her feet gain purchase on the ground, though he still supported most of her weight. They were only a few painful steps from the door when she tensed. Her tormentors from history class were making their way toward them.

With a flash of fear, Temperance realized that she had yet to interact with them when Seeley was at her side, except that first day in the cafeteria of course. But to them, it had only been a onetime occurrence. She highly doubted that Seeley advertised that he spent his lunch periods with 'Garbage Bin'. Her steps faltered, causing her to land painfully on her ankle. In one swift motion she was once again being carried bridal style, only Seeley wasn't moving.

"Alright Bones, I'm putting my foot down here. There is no way you are going to be able to get from class to class on your own!" Temperance opened her mouth to protest, but the words didn't come fast enough. "Don't get me wrong, I would be more than willing to help you, but I have the feeling it would be one fight after another, all day, and while you might have a high pain tolerance, I don't. Every time you wince it makes my stomach hurt. So, either we are going to the nurse, or we are going to my truck, and we'll go wherever you want. It's your call Bones."

Temperance stared at Seeley, mouth slightly open, as she tried to formulate a response. He certainly could talk fast. His serious expression began to unnerve her, and she felt anger boil in the pit of her stomach. Just who did he think he was, laying down ultimatums and acting like she was his responsibility? The only person responsible for Temperance Brennan was Temperance Brennan herself. She took a deep breath, a sharp rebuke on the tip of her tongue, but once again, her words never made it out of her mouth.

"Hey, man! What's up?" Temperance paled, all fire leaving her gaze as she lowered her eyes to stare intently at Seeley's chest; she had forgotten who she had spotted coming down the hallway. "I thought trash day wasn't until tomorrow, but I don't mind moving it up a day." She heard laughter coming from somewhere in front of her, but it had a hollow sound, like her head was under water. She felt Seeley's arms tighten around her, pulling her body flush against his, and despite the completely rational fear that he would turn on her like everyone else, irrationally she still felt an immense amount of comfort from the gesture.

"I don't have the faintest idea what you are referring to Daniels, and if I were you, I would hope that I don't find out." Seeley's voice was hard, dangerous, and Temperance could only imagine the faces of the boys it was directed at, as her face was still safely hidden in Seeley's chest.

"Oh come on Seel! She's the foster freak! What else is she good for? I mean, I'm sure she's an easy lay, but come on man! You could have any girl in the school! If you need an excuse to shower just go for a run or something. You don't have to roll around in the dumpster with Garbage Bags."

For a moment, Temperance felt the world spin. Then there was a tremendous bang that left her ears ringing, and they were moving again. She was still pressed tightly against Seeley's chest, and she could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage underneath her cheek. She turned her head and was surprised to find that the hall had emptied.

"When did the bell ring?" She got no response and was silent for a moment. "Where are we going?" Again her question was met with silence, although she could feel his heartbeat decelerating. "Seeley?" She felt a tinge of annoyance but tramped it down. "Seeley!" He stopped moving but didn't meet her eyes, instead starring at the empty hallway before them. "What… what was that noise?"

He started moving again, and in a few seconds, she saw what he was headed for: the door to the student parking lot.

"Seeley! We can't just leave! We have classes! And I thought you said you couldn't afford to miss class again? What about the football team?"

"Screw the team." He shouldered his way through the door while keeping her locked to his chest.

"And what about school? You're going to let some Neanderthal with sub-par insults and the maturity of a six year old define your education?" She felt more than saw him shake his head. They were nearing his truck.

"No. But I am going to let a beautiful, smart, amazing girl with a sprained ankle define my attendance record. I have the feeling she'll help me catch up." He didn't smile, but when his eyes met hers she felt her abdominal muscles contract and a faint case of acid reflex. She wondered if this is what other girls her age would refer to as 'getting butterflies'. It seemed mildly disturbing to her, having another human being influence your digestive tract.

They didn't speak as he opened her door and very carefully loaded her into the vehicle. She didn't ask where they were going when he pulled out of the parking lot, nor did he offer her an explanation when he turned onto the highway and headed south. They drove for twenty minutes listening only to the hum of the engine.

"I hit him." Her head snapped up so fast her neck hurt.

"You did what? How? You were holding me." He shrugged.

"That's what the noise was. I didn't… There was no thought. He was standing in front of me with that stupid shit eating grin, and then he was sliding down the lockers and we were leaving."

She stared at her hands for several minutes before answering.

"You shouldn't have done that Seeley."

"Damn right I shouldn't have!" His hand slammed against the steering wheel and Temperance flinched, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. "I should have drug his sorry ass outside and turned it inside out! If I hadn't been carrying you I probably would have, that sorry piece of shit!" Temperance cowered in her seat. Intellectually, she knew that his anger wasn't directed at her, but her reflexes had kicked in, and she had curled into as much of the fetal position as her seatbelt would allow.

The car came to a stop, as well as the engine, and silence stretched between them again. She finally pulled her gaze up only to find him starring at her with a mixture of concern and something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I'm sorry Bones." His hand moved slowly and deliberately across the space between them. She watched it cross the entire 2 foot distance until it landed softly on her arm. She was proud of herself when she barely shivered. "How long?"

She pulled her eyes from his hand to meet his gaze.

"How long what?"

"How long… the bullying. How long have they been bullying you?" They stared at each other again, and Temperance wondered if they were breaking some sort of record; the longest silent eye contact.

"Since I traded a suitcase for a trash bag; when I was put in the foster system." Seeley blinked once, then he was unbuckling his seat belt and opening his door. She was only alone a few seconds before he was opening hers as well, holding out his arms like he was waiting for an embrace.

"What are we doing?" She unbuckled her seat belt but made no other move to get out of the truck.

"There is someone I'd like you to meet. And then I thought maybe we could work on something school related, since we are playing hookie today." He smirked.

"I don't know what that means, but I'm claiming I was kidnapped." His smile faded as she glared at him for a few seconds. Then a grin spread across her face, and she surprised even herself when she used her good foot to launch herself out of the vehicle and into his waiting arms.

She laughed gleefully as he twirled her around a few times, mindful of how close her foot got to the car door, before setting her gingerly on one foot so he could shut the car door.

"So who am I meeting?" Seeley smiled and hoisted her back up into his arms.

"Only the best grilled cheese chef in the world!"

She thought about pointing out that there was no possible way to know who was the best grilled cheese chef without having first sample all of the grilled cheese in the world, and even then the results were subject to bias. But instead she burrowed her head into his chest.

"Do your arms ever get tired?" He grinned down at the top of her head.

Alright folks! News! I have had several reviews mentioning the inclusion of the rest of the cast, and more specifically, Angela. My stance on this subject as of right now is, if I include one, I have to include them all, and I really don't want to do that. I have yet to find a high school fic with a believable Angela/Brennan friendship. Plus, I think it makes Brennan's attachment to Booth greater if she doesn't have Angela to lean on as well. Just them against the world, right? =)

Also, I think I should add that the reason the plot has been moving at a snail's pace is that the bond between Booth and Brennan has to be strong enough to withstand later hardships, so I set out with the intention that at least the first ten chapters being dedicated to creating and affirming that bond. Things should start getting more interesting in a chapter or two.

And that's all I have to say! Happy reviewing! =)


	9. Chapter 9

"Pops! Are you here? Hello?" How he had managed to get the door open without jostling her in the slightest was a physics marvel. Temperance glanced around curiously as Seeley moved further into the house.

"You could put me down you know. I might not be able to walk very well, but I can stand just fine." She tore her gaze away from the photo of a young, grinning Seeley in a baseball uniform to meet the very real grin of the man himself.

"Yeah, but I bet you can _sit_ like a champ!" He began moving toward what appeared to be the living room.

"I don't know what that means…" She braced herself on his shoulder as he lowered her onto the couch, letting out a contented sigh to be completely immobile. She felt completely safe, and she revealed in the unusual sensation, snuggling back into the cushions and closing her eyes.

"Hey Pops!" Seeley's voice bounced off the walls and she felt the couch dip as he landed on the cushion next to her. "How about you let me see that foot again Bones?" She cracked an eye to look at him, but was robbed of the opportunity to respond when all hell broke loose.

"SEELEY JOSEPH BOOTH! WHAT do you think you are doing here?" Instinct kicked in before Temperance had time to process what was happening, and she headed for the safest place her mind could conjure. She was across the couch and cowering in Seeley's waiting arms before she had even realized that she had used her bad ankle to propel herself there. She fought back tears and curled herself tighter into Seeley's embrace.

"Jeez Pops! You don't need to scare the poor girl to death!" His arms tightened around her and she burrowed deeper into him. "And in case you forgot I live here!" His fingers were running soothing tracks up and down her spin and she relaxed just a bit.

"You might not for much longer once I find out what you are doing here with a girl in the middle of the day! Seeley you are already in trouble for tardiness, do you really need to add skipping class to the list of offences? You'll get kicked off the football team."

"I know Pops, and I'm sorry. But Bones-"

"Bones? What the hell kind of a name is "Bones" for a young lady?" While he was still shouting, 'Pops' tone seemed to have lost a little of its vehemence. Temperance very carefully shifted to peak out from Booth's chest to make eye contact with the man currently glowering in her direction. His furious expression disappeared once he got a good look at her tear stained face, and was replaced with horror. "Dear Lord… She's pregnant isn't she?"

"WHAT? No! What would make you think that! I-"

"I'm sorry." Both men froze at the meek tone. Temperance gently began trying to detangle herself from Seeley's embrace, which proved to be rather difficult as he was having none of it, tightening his grip and making sounds of displeasure as she tried to wiggle free. "I sprained my ankle last night and Seeley was kind enough to- Ugh! Let go!" She ceased struggling to glare at her captor. She would have crossed her arms, but her chest was already covered by his right bicep.

"No." His glared right back for a few moments, before his face split into a grin and he gave her waist a hard yank, and she once again found herself nestled into his chest. She let out an exasperated sigh and twisted around so that she was comfortably lounging against him, but able to face the older man who was silently watching the whole exchange.

"As I was saying-"

"Bones sprained her ankle Pops, and she was being stubborn and refused to go to the nurse. And since I couldn't follow her around lining the floors with pillows all day, I brought her here."

"Pillows?" She shifted to glare at him again. "What would lining the floors with pillows accomplish? If anything it would make staying upright more difficult, not-"

"Bones?" Pops gave the pair a quizzical look, and the teens abandoned their burgeoning argument to face him again.

"Temperance. Temperance Brennan. He-" She jerked her head toward Seeley. "-calls Bones, despite my resistance, because I'm helping him pass Bio, and we are studying anatomy right now." Seeley shrugged.

"She's good with bones. And Temperance is a mouthful." Her brow furrowed, mouth opening to argue with him again, but Pops beat her to it.

"Well I'm Hank Booth, since my very polite grandson has neglected to introduce us. Him and his brother call me Pops, which you are welcome to do as well. Or you can call me Hank." Temperance smiled.

"I think I'll call you Hank."

"Excellent. Now then, I was on my way over to see an old army buddy, but I won't leave you two here unsupervised unless I know that my grandson is going to be the perfect gentleman." He raised his eyebrows at Seeley.

"Seeley is always a perfect gentleman Hank, sometimes even when I don't want him to be." Hank's eyebrows crept even closer to his hair line, and Seeley coughed behind her.

"We'll be good Pops, promise."

"Okay, then I'll be back around 12:30. How do you kids feel about grilled cheese for lunch?" He gave each of them a smile and then was gone. Seeley let out a deep sigh.

"Well _that_ didn't go as I had planned."

"I like him. He's very…direct, straightforward. But not unkind." Seeley's eyebrows rose as he looked down at her.

"Really? I thought you were going to have a heart attack when he came in." Temperance blushed and looked down in shame, once again trying to extract herself from his arms and failing.

"I… I just… When people… yell… Or get angry… I-"

"Shh, it's okay Bones." Seeley pressed a delicate kiss to her temple and tightened his arms around her. A tingly warmth radiated from her chest, and she was at a loss to quantify the sensation. She decided to ignore the kiss. "You don't have to talk about it. I understand. But if you ever change your mind, I'll be right here." She stared at him for a moment, then buried her head in his chest with a sigh. His chin came to rest gently on her hair. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, and Temperance had to muffle a yawn. "I don't know about you Bones, but all this stress has me beat." He didn't try to sound convincing, and she wasn't convinced. She let out a delicate snort at his thinly veiled act of kindness, and he smirked. "_And_ you are better than any blanket I have ever owned. So I think-" She let out a small shriek when he pushed off the ground, moving them to lie on the couch, her sprawled across his chest. "I think that we should take a nap."

"Wouldn't you rather nap in your bed? I'll be fine here by myself. I- "

"Shh…." His hands began moving in gentle circles along her back, and she melted into his body. "Weren't you listening Bones?" He keep his tone light, barely speaking above a whisper. "You're better than any blanket I've ever owned." She sighed and he kept his hands moving, his eyes drifting shut.

Several minutes later, in a brief moment of clarity, Seeley thought to ask if she was the one who needed a blanket, but when he pried his eyes open he found her fast asleep, clutching a fistful of his t-shirt near her nose.

He smiled softly at her before drifting off into his own unconsciousness.

Oh good lord! So much fluff I kind of felt like I was going to make myself vomit! =p But it was flying around my head demanding that it be written! How rude of it. More on the way! And definitely more Pops!


	10. Chapter 10

So… After reading the last chapter, someone said they were going to vomit a double rainbow across the sky… Is that an insult or a complement? =/ Speaking of the last chapter, I've made some minor edits and reposted it. Nothing that affects the plot or storyline, but I think the phrasing runs a little smoother. =)

Hank Booth was not a man who was easily moved. While he and his late wife had been very much in love, he had never been a romantic man. He did not watch sappy movies, he didn't cuddle up to his wife for long, slow walks through the park, stealing kisses under street lamps (really he just thought those fools were asking to get mugged), and he thought dancing was for wusses.

Hank Booth did not find any enjoyment in watching another couple being affectionate.

But he couldn't help the quiet grunt of approval when he returned home to find his grandson completely wrapped around the slip of a girl draped across his chest, a contented smile on his face.

He was in the kitchen making his 'famous' grilled cheese when the grandson in question came ambling through the doorway, stretching his arms overhead and yawning.

"Mmm, smells good. How was Joe?" Seeley plopped himself down in a kitchen chair.

"Son of a bitch is getting old. Beat 'em at dominoes three times, old geezer." The Booth boys smirked, settling into a comfortable silence while Seeley rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"So, a tutor huh? Is that what they are calling it now days?" Hank turned to see his grandson redden at the implication, staring a hole in the floor while he twiddled his thumbs nervously.

"It's not like that, really Pops. She is my tutor. She's just… having a bad day."

"Huh, didn't look like she was too bent out of shape about you using her like a downed comforter." Seeley grimaced but refrained from commenting.

"Have you told her?" Hank flipped a perfect grilled cheese onto a plate, keeping his back to his grandson.

"Told her what?" Hank rolled his eyes.

"Have you told her that you like her?"

"And what makes you think I do?" This time Hank did turn, abandoning his skillet for a moment to fold his arms and raise his eyebrows at Seeley, who maintained his stoic expression for several long seconds before sighing in defeat.

"No. I'm not even sure she would let anyone call us friends. She's… stubborn."

"So? And you aren't?" Hank snorted and moved to plop another grilled cheese into the frying pan.

"I don't want to push her. She… I think she has enough on her plate."

"Don't we all," Hank muttered under his breath.

"I mean it. Like today, the reason we left school, she… She gets bullied Pops." Hank flipped a sandwich.

"And? I thought you liked to be the knight in shining armor, Shrimp? Be chivalrous, you're good at it. Just don't get yourself suspended and you have my full support." He was surprised to see Seeley glowering at the floor when he turned back to his grandson. "Unless there is something else you aren't telling me." He watched as Seeley continued to frown at the floor for several tense seconds.

"Pops…" He started in a strained whisper, "I don't want to jump to conclusions. I mean, it's really none of my business. And I don't want to offend her, but I get so worried every time and, I mean-"

"Just spit it out son." Seeley let out a deep, pained sigh.

"She's always… covered in bruises," he spoke in a whisper. He looked up to see his grandfather had become tense as well, a deep grimace marring his features. He obviously understood the implication.

"From the bullies?" He was almost hopefully. Bullies could be dealt with, particularly if Seeley went into 'white knight' mode, but when his grandson stiffly shook his head, Hank grunted in anger. "Her ankle?"

"I think so." Hank was quiet for a moment.

"Well son, then you had better be damned ready to go for the mat for this girl, even if she tells you not to, or just forget about it right now. Because if you ask her to fall, and you aren't ready to catch her? She might not survive the landing."

Seeley looked up from where he had been boring holes into the linoleum.

"She is Pops. She's worth it. And so much more."

Hank was not a romantic man, but his chest constricted when he saw the fire in his grandson's eyes, and he was proud.

"Then why the hell are you in here with me?" The Booth men shared a grin before Seeley leaned back in his chair, feeling more relaxed now that he had voiced his suspicions, even if he hadn't put a name to them. A calm settled over the kitchen.

"So I punched Daniels in the face this morning." Hank froze for just a moment before resuming his movements over the stove.

"Yeah? Did he deserve it?"

"Hell yes! He deserved more!" Hank tried and failed to hold back his smirk.

"Could you at least _try_ not to get suspended? Do you really think Daniels' nose is worth $80,000?" Seeley looked confused and Hank winced. "College loans."

"You think I'm going to lose a scholarship because I punched one ass hole in the nose?"

"No, but I know you to be no academic either. And unless your 'tutor' in there has a magic wand and a pair of ruby slippers, I'm willing to bet any scholarship money will come from football."

"Well I don't know about a magic wand, but I wouldn't bet against her." Seeley grinned and his grandfather snorted.

"Well then, I guess you'd better tell her how important her time with you is." Hank grinned and Seeley glared, glancing around for something to toss at his grandfather. "And really Seeley, 'Bones'?" Seeley's hand hovered over the dish towel he had finally located and he turned to smirk at Hank.

"Yeah, I know. But Temperance? And she's just so damned adorable when she's frustrated." And then he launched the towel at his grandfather's head.

Hank tsked his grandson before flipping a final sandwich onto the heap on the counter.

"Well you had better go wake her up. My famous grilled cheeses aren't fit to scrub pots with once they are cold." Seeley winced as he stood up.

"Wow, I have never been so glad that Jared and I do the dishes." He grinned as he ducked the flying dish towel and trotted out of the kitchen.

Look at that! Three chapters written in one week! I don't know how fast I intended to post these but I am pleased that they are turning out so quickly! This one was a little harder to write because it was the first that wasn't centered on Temperance's thoughts and actions. Plus I had a fight with the characters about Booth voicing his suspicions. They won. Stupid stubborn characters. :( But I would only allow implications, not actual accusations! So I like to think it was a compromise.

Happy reviewing!


	11. Chapter 11

I a _soooooooo_ sorry to all of you who have sent me review and asked that I update! This has been done forever, I just never think about posting! Plus Bones sucks so royally now, I have to haul out my DVD's for inspiration… I know, I know, excuses excuses. But the good news is, it's here now!

And you can all pat Katarina on the back for making me laugh and giving me a shove to post as well. Happy Reading!

"Mom?" Her throat burned, and she had long since gone hoarse from the continuous screaming, lungs aching for air. "Mom! Dad!" She tried to run, but felt something grabbing for her, tearing at her with determination. A heavy weigh attached itself to her legs, trying to pull her down. "No! Mom! Dad! Please!" Her voice broke and a strangled sob escaped.

She struggled against the darkness that tore at her, but only succeeded in making her chest burn angrily before she stumbled to the ground. She screamed when she felt the sickening presence slithering up her legs, creeping across her chest, crushing her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She wanted her parents! Where were her parents? She tried to wiggle free, but she was in so much pain.

"Bones!"

Temperance stopped struggling and froze, eyes darting around the darkness, looking for her savior.

"Mom?" That couldn't have been her mother, it had sounded like a man. "Dad?"

"Come on Bones, I've got you."

Bones? Who talked to bones?

Her panic began to lessen, the agony in her limbs fading and the strangling darkness began to fold back on itself. A warm presence surrounded her, beating back the grasping claws.

"Shh, it's okay. I've got you Bones. Come on, time to wake up."

Bones? Wake up… she was sleeping? The darkness faded completely and she blinked several times to clear her vision.

"Seeley?" Her throat hurt.

"Hey there Bones. You okay?" She blinked the sleep from her eyes, pulling herself into a sitting position on the couch. Lifting her hand to her face and was horrified to find it was wet with tears. She ducked her head, letting her hair hide her face from his eyes.

"What time is it?" She swallowed thickly, trying to rid her throat of its sandpaper coating.

"Time for lunch." Seeley knelt on the floor in front of her and placed his hands on her knees. She managed not to flinch, but he seemed to recognize her discomfort and removed his hands. "You ready for some food Bones?" She nodded mutely, thinking it wise to not aggravate her vocal cords anymore than necessary, but she continued to gaze at the floor and made no effort to stand up.

His fingers appeared in her line of sight before she felt a light pressure on her chin. She let out a deep sigh, wincing at the fire in her throat, and tilted her face up for his inspection.

But she wasn't prepared for the look of utter concern as he stared deep into her eyes. It was enough to make her tear up again.

"Oh Bones," he whispered delicately. He moved quickly, landing on the couch next to her and encircling her in his arms in a matter of moments. She resisted for only a moment before collapsing into his chest and weeping with everything she had in her. He was so warm, hard and soft at the same time, and she was startled to find that for second time that day, she felt completely and totally safe.

"Shh, I've got you Bones. It's okay. Shh…" Through her tears she let out a straggled snort of laughter. She caught Seeley's surprised look. "What?"

"N-Nothing-ing. You just s-seem to be say-ying that to m-me a lot tod-day." She sputtered around her tears and Seeley sent her a grim smile while he tightened his arms around her.

"Well I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it Temperance," and he laid a delicate kiss on her hair. They remained on the couch, Seeley rocking them back and forth, placing sporadic kisses on her scalp until her sobs turned into shuddering breaths and hiccups. "Better?" He whispered into her hair. She nodded against him.

"My throat hurts." Her voice was hoarse, and Seeley winced when he imagined the pain she was in.

"Yeah that'll happen sometimes when you really commit yourself to being a human fountain." She snorted against his chest where her face was still buried. He glanced down at her, poised to ask about her obvious nightmare. But the question died on the tip of his tongue, seeing her still sporting tear tracks and trying valiantly to hide that she was wiping her runny nose on her sleeve. He decided to save that conversation for another time. "What do you say we head to the kitchen and I'll get you a nice big glass of milk to go with your grilled cheese, hmm?" She pulled far enough away from his chest to look up into his face.

"I appreciate the offer. But I don't like milk." She smiled at the over exaggerated look of shock on his face. "Humans actually lose the ability to digest milk properly after the age of four, so really it has no nutritional value, aside from the additives present in most all processed foods now days. I prefer to get my vitamins from the correct sources." Her grin widened when his shocked expression turned to confusion, and she laughed. "But a glass of water would be lovely."

He still looked a little confused, but he smiled none the less and hoisted her into his arms for what to her felt like the hundredth time that day. To her credit, Temperance managed to hold her tongue on the subject, only letting out a disgruntled sigh as he began moving toward the kitchen.

"Well, if it isn't sleeping beauty herself!" Hank boomed when they entered the kitchen, and Temperance sent him a warm smile while she was delicately lowered into a chair.

"Hello again Hank. How was your visit with your friend?" He smiled at the girl and placed a grilled cheese in front of her.

"We're getting old. So it went as expected." Temperance's brow furrowed in confused, but Hank simply grinned at her and moved to place two sandwiches in front of the empty seat next to her.

"How does grape juice sound Bones?" Seeley glanced up from where he was studying the contents of the fridge.

"Perfect." He smiled at her and she practically glowed in response. Seeley moved toward the cupboard for glasses and Hank plopped himself into the chair opposite Temperance.

"So, Temperance, you don't mind that I call you Temperance do you? I can't seem to wrap my head around calling a young lady 'Bones'." He shot Seeley a look, who simply grinned in response, before he turned his attention back to the girl across from him.

"Temperance is fine Hank. Or Tempe if you like. That's what my-," she stopped short, hurt flashing across her face. Her gaze fell to her plate, hands in her lap. "That's what people used to call me."

Hank threw a look of concern toward his grandson, who quickly moved to her side, plopping a brimming glass of juice down on the table in front of her.

"There you go Bones, drink up. And look, just for you." She glanced up rather listlessly and he wiggled his own glass of juice in front of her before taking a swig. "But I still think you don't know what you are missing. Milk is delicious." He smacked his lips and watched in growing concern when she simply shrugged her shoulders and took a sip from her own glass. He had expected an argument. "Bones?" His hand slipped into hers under the table and she gripped it painfully.

Hank decided to excuse himself with as much grace as he was capable.

"Well shit! Look at the time. Sorry to run kids, but I completely forgot that I have a meeting with an angry principal this afternoon." Hank stood and watched in amusement when Temperance suddenly lost her downtrodden attitude, looking at Seeley with alarm. "Wrong brother Temperance. Jared is the offender this time." Hank placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he made his way out of the room, throwing a pointed look at Seeley as he moved passed. His grandson sent him a slight nod, barely removing his eyes from the girl next to him.

"See you later Pops."

They waited in silence until the front door shut.

"Bones-"

"No." He was surprised be the vehemence in her tone. "I've cried enough for one day Seeley. I'm sorry I over reacted." She closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath before she finally turned to meet his gaze. "I promise I'll tell you about it sometime. But for now… Let's just enjoy our lunch okay?" She sent him a hesitant smile, which blossomed into a full-blown grin when he smiled back.

"Okay Bones." He reached for his sandwich and she did the same, their hands remaining intertwined under the table.

Okay, not really worth a two month wait, but I needed to get from point A to point B. Next chapter has lots of goodies! Proof reading it now, so if it's not up by tomorrow night at the latest, someone kick me. Really really hard! =)


	12. Chapter 12

So! Maybe not proofread as many times as I would like, but here it is! First though, I did get a review I would like to address, from Joy Booth saying that she liked that Booth and Bren save each other in the show, and Bren is lacking in heroism in my story. You are absolutely right! =) And I planned it this way on purpose (although it has dragged on longer than intended… oops), because Bren was closed off from Booth in the beginning of the show too. I feel like she is sneaky about being heroic, Booth is more the showman. And I like to think that before the writers destroyed her character circa season 4, Brennan wasn't really aware of how often she helped Booth, and that was what made her a likable character *pointed look at writers*. That being said, chapter 14 will definitely have some 'Brennan in a cape' moments. =)

She moaned in appreciation and fell back against her chair.

"You weren't exaggerating. That was delicious." Seeley let out a sigh of his own.

"I told you, best in the world." He too leaned back, closing his eyes and focusing on breathing around his overly full stomach. Temperance giggled.

"I think you ate too much Seeley. That's not healthy you know." Her tone was reprimanding, but when he cracked an eye to look at her, she was grinning happily in his direction. He smiled back and squeezed her hand, which was still intertwined with his.

"We should probably get some school work done," she suggested half-heartedly. It was clear after a few moments that neither showed any inclination of moving other than Seeley gently sweeping his thumb back and forth over her knuckles. "Seeley…" Her hesitant tone trailed off, and he opened both eyes to look at her fully.

"What is it Temperance?" His thumb swept over her knuckles again and she smiled, shaking her head.

"Don't call me Temperance." She pulled her eyes up to meet his and he grinned back at her.

"What is it _Bones_?" She frowned at the floor and concern washed over him. "Bones?"

"Seeley… I was… Well, I was just… I was wondering-" She huffed in frustration and turned to face him, eyes full of fire. She yanked their intertwined hands up to eye level. "What is this, Seeley?" He couldn't contain his amusement.

"Phalanges, metacarpals-"

"No!" He grinned at her flustered expression and she rolled her eyes at him. "Although you are correct, and I am extremely proud of you. What I _meant_, is what are we? Are we- Would you say that we are friends?" She looked at him imploringly and Seeley didn't bother to keep the love out of his eyes. She was adorably determined, jaw set and eyes flashing, like a negative response from him would send her marching, bad ankle and all, out of his house and all 20 miles back to her home. But there was a hint of fear as well, and that she even entertained the thought that the time they had spent together, today especially, could just be a ploy on his part, or that he would decide she was too much or not enough and leave her, cut him deeply. Not that he blamed her, not in the least. He just wanted to find every bastard who had ever looked at her wrong and run their faces into the ground. He couldn't even think of a punishment horrible enough for the monsters she lived with. He quickly pulled his focus back to the girl in front of him, least she read and misunderstand his sudden flash of anger.

"Of course we are friends Bones. I wouldn't risk a lecture about $80,000 in football scholarships for just anyone." Her eyes widened comically at the figure, but he placed his fingers gently over her lips before she could comment. "Don't worry about it Bones. You'll help me get out of it." He smiled, she blushed. "And Bones?" He moved his hand under her chin, tilting her face up slightly. "I want to be so much more than friends." His breath whispered across her cheek just before his lips gently caressed hers.

He lingered for only a moment before pulling back, watching her face carefully as her wide eyes snapped to his.

"Seeley I-"

"Shh!" He placed his fingers on her lips again. "I don't want an answer now Bones. You've had a rough day and I've done a lot of manhandling, which I know you just love." He gave her a sheepish look, and was pleased when her lips quirked up in response. "But I just want you to know, when you're ready, I'll be here." He brought her hand up, running his lips over her knuckles while she watched with a contemplative expression.

"Just so we are clear, are you referring to a sexual relationship?" Seeley was briefly afraid that he inhaled so sharply he had injured his lungs. He did cough several times before speech was possible again, Temperance watching him with mild concern, hand still intertwined with his.

"What? No, Bones! I'm referring to a relationship! You know, boyfriend/girlfriend, holding hands, going to the movies, maybe kissing, that's it!" His panicked face eased a little when her lips lifted again, but she still looked slightly confused.

"But I was under the impression that most of the couples our age who engage in the activities you listed are also sexually active. Sometimes with more than just the person they claim to be in a relationship with, although I'm not sure that their partners know that." She winced.

"Yeah well, there is everyone else, and then there is us. I would _never_ put that kind of pressure on you Bones! Besides, half the time I'm afraid if I even try to hold your hand you'll break my wrist!" His expression remained alarmed as she continued to stare at him with a curious expression on her face.

"So you are a virgin?"

"Geez Bones! I don't think-"

"It's fairly common practice for males to compare their sexual exploits in order to gain respect amongst their peers. As you seem to be highly regarded amongst the Neanderthals you play sports with, I believe it is safe to assume that you have had your fair share of sexual conquests." Her tone was clinical, but Seeley could see the fear lurking in her eyes. He moved his remaining free hand so that both of their hands were intertwined, his thumbs moving in a soothing pattern over her skin.

"I've had… experiences, Bones. I won't lie to you. And yes, I have boasted about them in the past." Her lips twitched downward and his stomach lurched. If he had foreseen them having this conversation, he wouldn't have had that fourth grilled cheese. "But yes Bones, I am a virgin." He saw some of the tension melt from her face, although she maintained her impassive expression, and he allowed himself to relax a little. "And Bones, you need to know that I will never share anything that happens between us with anyone else." Hurt flashed across her eyes and he moved his hand to her cheek. "Not because I'm embarrassed of you. I will happily give you my class ring to wear if you'll have it." He grinned cheekily at her and she rolled her eyes. "But because what's ours, is ours, no one else's. They can't judge what they don't understand." His hand caressed her strong jaw line before moving to run play with the tips of her hair.

She looked down at their clasped hands and was utterly silent for a long time. Seeley's nerves began to wreak havoc on his stomach. He was trying to think of clever was to defuse the situation when she squeezed the hand that was still gripped in hers, his eyes flying to meet hers, her cautious smile doing crazy things to his insides.

"Yes." He felt relief wash over him, before realizing the he had no idea what she was saying yes to.

"Yes what, Bones?" Her smile transformed into a grin and he got the impression she was holding back laughter at his expense.

"Yes, I'll be your girlfriend, and wear that infernally cliché class ring." He was stunned into silence for a second before he let out a woop of joy and leapt from the table, pulling her up into his arms and spinning her around the tiny kitchen, careful to keep her ankle away from anything stationary. She laughed whole heartedly and clung to his chest. "Seeley! Put me down before one of us gets hurt!"

He obliged, slowly lowering her onto her own feet, giving her adequate time to balance both on his arms, his hands resting supportively on her waist, and her remaining uninjured foot. She focused on her feet until she was sure gravity wasn't going to send her plummeting to the floor, then pulled her eyes up to meet Seeley's; Seeley, her boyfriend, who was grinning crookedly at her, warm hands moving in gentle circles on her sides, supportive and soothing.

"That was my first kiss you know," she whispered quietly. His grin remained, but he looked puzzled for a moment before he remembered the light peck he had given. "I feel a little cheated. Aren't first kisses supposed to be magical?" His expression fell and he looked like he had just run over someone's puppy.

"I'm sorry Bones, I didn't think it through, I just wanted to show you that I cared, and I never been very good with words, we have that in common you know." Temperance managed to keep the smile off of her face until his last, hopeful words paired with his guilty expression caused a bubble of laughter to escape her tightly locked lips, a grin bloomed across her face as Seeley's expression grew more and more confused. "What?"

Her hands slid up his arms to his shoulders, careful to keep her balance while she stared up into his curious brown eyes.

"I was teasing." She felt oddly warm when his confused frown melted into a smile. "Magic doesn't actually exist, but I think that if it did, it would always be present when I'm with you." His smile softened while she wrinkled her nose at him. "That was really cheesy; I can't believe you didn't laugh at me!" He did laugh then, and kissed the tip of her nose, but refrained from comment. He was elated to see her so relaxed. "But you know, you are more experienced than me, and girls our age seem to put a high premium on the quality of and experience behind their kisses. Perhaps you would like to educate me Mr. Booth, I hear practice makes perfect." She fluttered her eyelashes like the movie stars in her dad's old black and white films, watching the devilish grin spread across Seeley's face.

"Well, it is only fair; you have been helping me studying biology for weeks." He took a step closer, tightening his arms around her waist and lowering his forehead to hers. "And I know how important it is to you that your homework gets done."

Temperance hummed in response just before his lips tentatively brushes against hers, settling more firmly when her fingers threaded through his hair. She knew biologically that it had something to do with the chemicals her body was producing at the presentation of a potential mate, but she was pleasantly surprised and enraptured by what felt like a current of electricity running through her lips whenever they touched his.

Yay the fluff! Okay so this is the last of my reserves for this story, but hopefully it was sufficiently gooey to keep your spirits up until I can reread this entire story so that I get my timeline back on track! I have a plan, I swear! Wrote it out and everything! I just have to make sure that I don't give anything away too early or contradict myself…. =) I am, however, working on a Mentalist story right now, and it's really easy write out of character when switching back and forth between these two shows, so be patient with me. Points for effort! =D Or reviews, whichever you are more inclined to give ;)


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